Mobile phones have become a part and parcel of our lives. As per Statista, by 2020 there would be 9,038 million mobile phone users globally. With their increasing use, another important issue that comes into picture is the mobile security. Here we have listed some common mobile threats you must be aware of –

Data Leakage – Fraudulent apps seeking personal information can lead to data leakage and are a serious threat to mobile security. Mobile users need to be extra careful while granting permissions to various apps to gain access to gallery, notes and other folders. If a certain app requires you to fill in more information than what is generally required then it is best to avoid it.

Spyware – Your private information remains private no more. Spyware is a type of malware that collects information about the websites you visit, whereabouts and sometimes even your personal information. The collected data is then sent it to a third party without your consent or knowledge.

Viruses & Trojans – Viruses often masquerade themselves and come along with a program that seems legitimate. They can then hijack your personal information as well as sensitive login credentials or send unauthorized premium rate texts. Viruses can also enter your mobile when an app containing malware is installed on your phone.

IoT Threats – Almost all the devices are now connected with our smartphones. If a hacker gains access to your mobile phone then chances are that they can hack information available on other connected devices as well.

Network Spoofing – This often happens when you browse the internet using unknown Wi- Fi networks. Cyber criminals spoof the access points and then hack your emails, contact information etc. to use it for their benefit.

Out–Of-Date Software – There are higher chance of falling prey to a malware attack when your mobile phone runs on an outdated software that hasn’t been updated. Out-of-date software don’t have appropriate security patches often resulting in your pivotal information getting hacked.

Tips To Avoid Mobile Threats

Update your mobile system regularly.

Don’t set up easy passwords if you browse sites that contain sensitive login credentials.

Install a good mobile anti-virus software.

Download the apps from App store only.

Try to avoid using unknown Wi-Fi networks.

Read the end user agreement before actually downloading an app.

For more information on IT Security, call Centex Technologies at (254) 213-4740.

Almost all the industries today have integrated online systems into their operations making large amount of personal information being stored in digital form. This has exposed more and more people to identity related frauds.
Medical Identity Theft is the most recent form of identity theft where a person uses somebody else’s medical information without their knowledge. The stolen information such as name, social security number etc. are used to pay for medical treatments as well as for purchasing medical equipment. Fictitious medical records and bills are often submitted to the insurance companies asking for claims. This affects the financial and medical status of a person whose personal information and credentials are stolen.

Who Are Responsible –

Hackers – While cyber security professionals are making efforts to avoid cybercrimes yet internet based crimes are taking a toll each day. Hackers illegally steal the medical information and give it to people who masquerade their identity to avail medical facilities and insurance claims.

Others – This category may include the hospital staff or fraudulent healthcare providers who steal and sell your medical information to other people who in turn file for false insurance claims. Sometimes, even friends or other family members use it for their advantage.

How To Detect –

This theft can be identified by regularly checking your medical bills and transactions. Immediately report the hospital or medical center when you find any suspicious activity that may lead to such an identity theft.

If the insurance company denies your claim even when you haven’t used their services for a long time, there are chances that your medical and personal information has been compromised. Sometimes, an insurance claim is accepted by the insurance provider for a medical condition that you have not been diagnosed with. This is the point when you must recheck your records and notify the service provider.

Theft Prevention Tips –

Ensure Information Security – The more information you share, the more you are prone to such identity threats. So, try to share as little information as possible to avoid its misuse.

Monitoring Medical Records – Do check all your medical records regularly. This will help you to notice any suspicious activity and take a corrective action immediately.

Password Protection – Set up unique passwords and credentials for your online accounts to avoid hacking.

Phishing Emails – A user sometimes, clicks a phishing email that has legitimate appearance. A malware is then installed in the system that hacks all the important files and information. Try to spot and ignore such emails.

Storing The Information – To prevent any internet based crime, it is important to correctly store the records containing sensitive information. Along with storage, it is imperative to dispose them off safely when they become outdated or irrelevant.

Avoid Using Public Wi-Fi –Browsing websites through public networks increase the risk for information and identity thefts. Make sure that you do not access sites that require sensitive information on public Wi-Fi.

Hospitals and medical facilities should also have foolproof systems to store patient’s information. It is important for medical institutions to install, and upgrade to latest software and hardware to prevent misuse of patient’s data. Proper protocols and accesses should be implemented in order to keep a track on people accessing patient’s information.

The economies worldwide are increasingly progressing towards digitalization with large number of business organizations marking their online presence. Everything and almost anything is there on the web which had made businesses more prone to cyber security threats. No industry seems to be immune, which is clearly evident in reports of Kaspersky Lab that states that every 40 seconds a company is hit by a ransomware.

Bad Rabbit is the latest of all and has hit over 200 organizations and consumers all across Russia, Bulgaria, Turkey as well as some parts of Europe. It started off on October 24 and has mainly targeted news and media websites. However, the real name of bad rabbit is Diskcoder.d and the malware is quite similar to Petya which was caused by Diskcoder.c.

How Does It Spread –

The malware enters the user’s network when the user installs Adobe Flash Player from a website that is hacked. Soon after the fake flash installer corrupted with malicious malware is run on the system and all files are encrypted.
A ransom note then appears on their screens and the users are asked to pay 0.05 bitcoins within 41 hours to get the decryption key. If the payment is not made on time, then the ransom amount increases and the user is forced to pay more.

Also the hackers behind Bad Rabbit seem to have great interest in Games Of Thrones as one can find trails of Viserion, Rhaegal, Drogon and the other characters based on the servies in the code. Also they select their targets and infect only intended systems.

How To Protect Yourself –

Create Shadow Copies – It is possible to recover the files if the shadow copies exist, as the malware does not delete or encrypt them. The files can be recovered through 3rd party utilities or by using Standard Windows Mechanism.

Password Protection – Do not use too simple usernames and passwords as they pose a serious threat to cyber security.

Software – Ensure that you have Windows Security Bulletins installed on your system.

Anti-Virus – Install Anti- virus that can protect you against such malevolent malwares.

Back Ups – It is important to maintain back-up of all your important files which can be kept either offline or online. Also make sure that you update your systems every now and then.

Download From Trusted Sources – Do not execute or download any updates from an untrusted source. Often the ransomware is disguised as an Adobe Flash update but is actually a malware which is injected in the user’s system when once it is downloaded.

Restrict User Privileges – Grant minimum user privileges and give administrator rights to trusted employees only.
It is advisable to take necessary preventive steps well in advance to avoid such cyber-attacks at the first place.

We at Centex Technologies, provide complete IT Infrastructure Security Solutions to Corporates. For details, call Us at (254) 213-4740 .

Enter Your Email To Get Posts Sent Directly To You

Social Networks

Author

Abdul Subhani

I am the President & CEO of
Centex Technologies Microsoft Small Business Specialist, Certified E-Commerce Consultant, Certified Ethical Hacker, Certified Fraud Examiner, Virtual Instructor and an IT Consultant/Speaker on IT Security, Networking, Small Business Architect, & SEO Internet Marketing.

Certifications

Links

Twitter posts

We've been nominated for Small Business of the Year, Best I.T. Company, Young Entrepreneur of the Year, and CEO of the Year. Register and search for myself or Centex Technologies. It will only take you 5 minutes and I would greatly…lnkd.in/eqhaUXplnkd.in/erfAizd